A known solution for locating non-metallic underground pipes is to bury a tracer wire with the pipe during installation of the pipeline so that an electrical signal can later be run through the wire along the pipeline so that a suitable detector can be used above ground to sense the signal and thereby detect the location of the pipe and determine the path of the pipeline. The free end of the tracer wire used to apply the electrical signal is typically routed up to ground level at or adjacent a riser pipe that also extends to the surface so that access to the tracer wire is easily found. It is known to store the free end of the tracer wire by taping, clamping or tying an exposed above-ground length of the wire to an above-grade structure, for example to the riser pipe itself.
More recently, in the oil and gas industry, it has been known to bury one end of a short length of PVC pipe to form a conduit projecting upright from the ground adjacent the riser of a non-metallic pipeline in order to protect the tracer from exposure to the elements. A weatherproof box or housing mounted atop the conduit has the free end of the tracer wire secured therein, for example by a set screw that clamps the free end of the tracer wire against an electrically conductive contact that forms or is connected to another conductive contact outside the housing, so that connection of a signal generator to the outside contact conducts the electrical signal into the tracer wire without having to directly couple to the tracer wire. This way, the above-ground length of tracer wire remains protected from loss, exposure to the elements, wildlife, etc. in its safe location inside the conduit and housing.
Applicant has made a further development in the form of a bracket that is operable to connect such a tracer wire conduit to the above-grade flange of a typical oil and gas riser pipe to maintain a stable and aesthetically pleasing position of the tracer wire conduit in general alignment with the upright riser pipe, and provide a suitable location for placement of readable information concerning the pipeline or riser.